Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore to reopen

Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York in 350 pieces. In June 2013, rose petals fell from a helicopter around the historic monument.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The statue, designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, towers over Paris rooftops during construction in 1884. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France to commemorate 100 years of Franco-American friendship as well as the centennial of America's independence.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – Refugee children from England arrive in New York Harbor during World War II in 1940.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The towering of skyline of downtown Manhattan rises with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground in 1950.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The New York Harbor and World Trade Center are shown behind the Statue of Liberty in 1980.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – Workers remove scaffolding from around the torch after restoration work in 1985. The twin towers of the World Trade Center can be seen in the background.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – In November 1995, a federal budget crisis causes Liberty Island to close to tourists.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The Statue of Liberty sports a milk mustache in this 1995 ad.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – A representation of a giant glass of Guinness is lowered from a helicopter over the Statue of Liberty to publicize the city's first Irish Music & Arts Festival in 1997.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy is anchored in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty in preparation to carry President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton during Independence Day festivities in 2000.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The Statue of Liberty is shrouded in smoke on September 15, 2001, four days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The New York City skyline seen from Bayonne, New Jersey, in October 2001.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The statue's pedestal reopens to visitors on August 3, 2004, for the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – A New York Waterway ferry moves along the water as the sun sets behind the Statue of Liberty in 2004.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – During a special 2006 show by French champagne maker Moët & Chandon, the Statue of Liberty is lit to show the contours of the sculpture.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The Statue of Liberty from above in 2007.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – An aerial view of New York Harbor shows Lady Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan in 2007.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – Clouds roll in over the Statue of Liberty in 2008.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The statue's crown reopens to the public on July 4, 2008, after remaining closed since the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – A replica of the Dutch ship Half Moon sails past the Statue of Liberty, commemorating the English navigator Henry Hudson's entry into New York Harbor in 1609.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – A memorial that echoes the shape of the World Trade Center twin towers is illuminated on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – Fireworks explode over the Statue of Liberty on the anniversary of its dedication on October 28, 2011. The celebrations for the worldwide symbol of freedom and of friendship between France and the United States included the naturalization of 125 citizens from 46 nations and the installation of Internet webcams on the statue.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The sun rises in front of the Statue of Liberty before the start of a ceremonies on Liberty Island on October 28, 2011, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the dedication.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – The Space Shuttle Enterprise is towed in June 2012 on a barge past the Statue of Liberty on its way to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

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Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – On May 14, boats pass the Statue of Liberty, which had remained closed more than six months after Superstorm Sandy.

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Photos: Statue of Liberty's illustrious history – Visitors to the Statue of Liberty disembark from the first ferry to leave Manhattan, on Thursday, July 4, the first day the attraction reopened after suffering damage from Superstorm Sandy.

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Story highlights

States reach agreement with Washington on parks to find way around shutdown

They have arranged separate financing to maintain park operations

Agreements are limited, however, so states hoping government will reopen soon

Landmarks are vital for tourism, jobs; fall a key time for major attractions

The Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore have found a way around the government shutdown for now and will reopen with the help of state funding.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Friday that the state struck a deal with the National Park Service to fund Lady Liberty's operations for the time being.

"Every day that Liberty Island is closed means we are losing visitors who would otherwise be spending at our local businesses," Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Not to mention the employees who maintain the park and have been forced out of work."

New York state's tourism budget will fund the park and the state will pay $61,600 a day over the next several days.

According to the statement, a 2012 annual report from the National Park Service counted 3.7 million visitors to Liberty Island in 2011, generating nearly $200 million in economic activity and supporting more than 2,000 jobs.

"This is a practical and temporary solution that will lessen the pain for some businesses and communities in New York during this shutdown," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a statement. "We want to reopen all of our national parks as quickly possible for everyone to enjoy and call on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to open the government."

The inability of Congress to approve spending for the fiscal year that began October 1 triggered a government shutdown that -- along with most everything else -- resulted in the closure of national monuments and parks.

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees who maintain and secure the facilities were furloughed. The nation's 401 National Park Service sites collectively average about 715,000 visitors per day.

Arizona, South Dakota strike deal to open parks

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer also negotiated an agreement with the federal government to reopen Grand Canyon National Park as well, also using state and local funds amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

"I'm gratified the Obama administration agreed to reverse its policy and allow Arizona to reopen Grand Canyon, Arizona's most treasured landmark and a crucial driver of revenue to the state," said Brewer.

Under the agreement, the state will pay the National Park Service $651,000 -- $93,000 per day -- to reopen Grand Canyon and fully fund park operations for up to at least seven days using state and other monies.

The state will continue to assess next steps if the shutdown has not ended in seven days.

A similar deal was struck in South Dakota in order to reopen the mountain bearing the faces of some of America's greatest statesmen. The state government is paying $152,000 in order to keep Mount Rushmore open for 10 days, from Oct. 14 through Oct. 23.

"Visitors from around the world come to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore, and I'm pleased that our nation's Shrine to Democracy will be reopened," Gov. Dennis Daugaard said in a statement. "I appreciate the willingness of the National Park Service to partner with us to operate the monument."

Mount Rushmore will reopen first thing Monday morning, according to the release, at a cost of $15,200 a day. The funding is expected to come from a variety of local organizations the state government partnered with to "buy a day" of operation for the monument.

Utah will reopen its five national parks as well as three other nationally run locations under a similar deal with the government.

Gov. Gary Herbert said Utah will pay the National Park Service up to $1.67 million— $166,572 per day—to reopen eight national sites in Utah for up to 10 days.

If the federal government shutdown ends before then, the state will receive a refund of unused money, a statement said.

California and Wyoming also have sought alternative financing solutions for their parks.

The Republican-led House has passed a series of bills to refund parts of the government, including the national parks. But the Democratic-controlled Senate demands the government be funded all at once.

Congressional approval ratings hovered at historic lows. Republican and Democrats hurled insults at each other and among themselves. The political circus in Washington even made its way to "Saturday Night Live: -- in a sketch featuring Miley Cyrus, at that.